1. Field of Invention
The present invention pertains to the field of manufacturing processes. More particularly, this invention relates to predicting manufacturing process failures.
2. Art Background
A typical manufacturing process includes an arrangement of process steps. Typically, each process step performs one or more functions pertaining to a product undergoing manufacture. In addition, a typical manufacturing process usually includes an end of line process step at which finished products are tested for failures. Tests may also be performed at many points along the process.
It would be desirable to predict which products undergoing manufacture will be fail and render the prediction at process steps earlier in the manufacturing process than the end of line tests. Such a prediction may be used to save the costs of running potentially defective items through to the end of the manufacturing process as well as the cost of manufacture for good parts that are later irrecoverably attached to defective parts. Such cost savings may reduce the overall cost of manufacturing products.
A method for generating a predictor of failure of a manufacturing process is disclosed. The predictor is generated by generating a population of candidate solutions for the predictor and then determining the fitness of each candidate solution using a fitness case pertaining to the manufacturing process and a set of costs associated with the manufacturing process. The fitness may then be used to formulate a next generation of candidate solutions for a design method modeled on evolution.
Other features and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the detailed description that follows.